Julian Bream, legendary classical guitarist and multiple-Grammy award winner, dies at 87

The legendary British classical guitarist Julian Bream, who according to Royal Academy of Music was “one of the most remarkable artists of the post-war era” passed away on 14 August at his home in Wiltshire, reports BBC. While no causes of his death were reported, his management company confirmed Guardian that he had a peaceful death .

Bream, 87, has received four Grammy awards and 20 nominations in his illustrious career. Born in Battersea in 1933. Bream was primarily a self-taught guitarist. Later he went on to study the piano and cello at the Royal College of Music after receiving a scholarship. As the years passed, Bream’s talent took him to places with a series of tours and engaging masterclasses and he emerged as one of the most prolific and best-selling recording artists in classical music.

From 1952 to 1955, he served his nation under UK’s National Service scheme and was conferred with an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1964 and a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1985.

Post his brief stint in the army, he worked with Peter Pears after replacing Benjamin Britten, whose many compositions are part of Bream’s repertoire. In 1960, he founded the Julian Bream Consort, a period-instrument ensemble where Bream played the lute, an instrument he is often credited to have revived a wider interest among listeners and musicians alike. His expertise on both the guitar and lute enabled him to give a pathbreaking texture to the Elizabethan music.

In 2008, he set up The Julian Bream Trust to provide financial aid to the less-privileged-yet-gifted young music students. After an unfortunate accident in 2011, Bream had to discontinue making music owing to health concerns. In an interview with Guardian in 2013, he said, “There’s nothing sad about not playing any more. The thing I feel a little annoyed about is that I know I’m a better musician than I was at 70, but I can’t prove it.”